Sadr demands blood oath from Shiites, pretty much ignored

Only a few hundred people turned up Friday at Sadrist offices in Sadr City and Najaf to sign the covenant, as millions of Shiites were already heading by foot, car and minibus to the Shiite holy city of Karbala to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi, a ninth-century saint and the last of 12 imams revered by Shiites.